Anyone have a doggie who has had back surgery?

WAAAYYY off topic ....

My dog just had to go through spinal cord surgery for a disk herniation. Scarry stuff. He might have permament nerve damage. He's up and walking but quite wobbly. It's been 3 days since the surgery was performed.

I was just wondering if anyone else has gone through this with their dog and about recovery time and if there was any nerve regeneration and/or improvement after surgery. I heard this can happen over time.

I saw something on Animal Planet where someones dog was paralyzed and they either made or bought a tiny doggy wheelchair for him. It was so adorable. The doggy did everything any other dog would. It broke my heart.

No info for you but lots of hugs for you and your pupper wuppers. Poor lil' dude.

Tanks guys. Yeah Panny, I've seen those little carts, I don't think he'll need one because he's walking (although pretty poorly). Apparently dogs get around on them really well but they make me sad too.

Few years ago my dog has a similar surgery done at the Univ of Georgia. Took a couple of weeks, but she got back to normal eventually. Little unsteady at first, but she adjusted.

Little cocker spaniel about 9 years old at the time, hurt herself chasing a trio of dogs out of the yard. Slid going around the corner of the house and right into a post. What a doofus.

dunno, but animals are pretty resilient - a friend's kittie a few months back showed up with a bent tail; we were afraid it was broken, but turned out just to be 'jammed'. don't know how she did it, but she was a bit sad and unhappy... fortunately a few days' rest-up later, her tail worked itself out, and she seems to have had a "live and learn" attitude about it.

as long as your pet isn't the "can't be held back" rambunctious type, so's you can keep 'em calm and restful, i'm sure they'll be a-o-k. they seem to heal a bit faster than us slow-poke humans, too. it is such a heart-breaker when doggies can't be at "100% doggie" level... plenty of in-their-face kisses and gentle hugs from me!!

So true. Thanks a bunch

recovery time varies on the animal, by brief research and consulation with a familily member with a vet says, dependeing ont he age, activity and extent of the surgery, recovery can be days to months, she said week or two would be normal.

Yeah Jake I've read that it varies from animal to animal. Thanks for asking for me. You know a vet?

My mom's dog is getting really old, and it hurts her back when she jumps on and off of the couch/bed/anything high. So the vet recommended my mom by doggie ramps to discourage jumping, and it has helped quite a bit. I don't know if you let your dog on the furniture or not, but if you do they might ease the strain caused by jumping.

I think she got hers out of a catalog called 'Solutions' - www.solutionscatalog.com

or more specifically:

http://www.solutionscatalog.com/jump.jsp?itemID=4206&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C4%2C490%2C524&iProductID=4206

Hope your baby does ok Ingrid - Animals are amazing resilient! Just stay close and give him lots of attention.

My wacko cat broke his tail once (don't know how, just came home one day and he wasn't waiting for me like he ususally is, I started looking all over for him and found him hiding in the bushes with a broken tail).

Anyhow - $1500 dollars later, a little brace, a bandage, some shots to control pain, swelling and infection and some pills to control pain for afterwards, we fianally came home together.

So....

First night I had to wrap the little bastard in a towel to give him is pain pill and by the time we were done I'd considered taking a couple for the bloody ribbons that were left of myself afterwards.

Next morning, pretty much same deal, but not quite so bad.

The next night, I was surprised, when I did not have to wrap him in the towel but just gave him the pill and all he did was bite me. Next morning, I woke up to him yowlling like a mad man, I thought OMG, he hurt his back again. I got the pills out, gave him one, he seemed ok so I went to work.

I come home from work - he starts to yowl. I give him a pill.

Next morning he wakes me up yowlling and biting. Something is not right here. He bites me. I give him a pill and he settles down. All happy.

Come home - same deal. Thows him self on the floor at my feet yowlling like he's having a fit. I ignore him for a bit and he bites me. Yowls some more. Stops, looks up at me with one eye open. Yowls like he's in pain. Stops opens one eye and looks at me.

Hmmm... Only two pills left so I give him half.

So 4:30 AM the little bugger is playing trampoline on my stomach and yelling. His brace and bandage have come off and he looks positively awful. He Yowls and I get up and give him the other pill half.

The next morning I phone the vet, quite concerned because at this point he should be getting better. The vet tells me oh yeah he has a back problem all right, mostly from the monkey he has sitting on it. LOL

Quarter the pills, give him less each time and then don't give him any more, he's an addict.

Maybe 1 in a million animals reacts to a medication this way and THATs the one I end up with.

So... careful with the pills afterwards. LOL Good luck - if he's up and walking around now I'm sure he will be back to being like a puppy in no time.

Two months ago we had our pup fixed, for which we were given some pain pills. She didn't want them and didn't seem to need them. Week later, come home to find that the other dog jumped up on the kitchen table, took the pill bottle, chewed it open and ate them all! Fortunately, she is so big that nothing bad came of it. But she really likes those pills.

Im a huge dog lover, I hope your pup gets better soon. Time to heal is all you can do right now give him a little time hopefully your vet gave you some pills for him but K-9 asprin might also help the little guy dunno check with your vet first I don't know your dogs history. Anyways big hugs for the pup and the owner I hope he is bouncing around in no time.

Mar

Hello Ingrid

I used to be a vet tech before I opened my grooming biz, Like everyone else in this forum has said, your pup should do just fine, give it a few weeks I assisted the vet with quite a few surgeries like this and all our patients were walking around just fine after their recovery period, it varied from dog to dog, depending on age and such of course, but just give that pup lots of love and he should get along just fine

haha i -thought- maybe that was where the story was goin' - turned into kittie elvis!! but sad to get the lil' suckers hooked on pills... do you indulge your kittie with catnip?? if not, might help to 'take the edge off' eh? highly (hehe recommend 'cosmic catnip' if you can find it; great label on the bag, with a verrrry high-lookin' kittie on it...

i must confess - i'd once read about a study where humans smoked catnip, and reported a mild high from it. so once while catsitting for a friend, i rolled one up and tried it - awfully dry, and very mild, but yes, playing with string becomes rather more fun and interesting than you'd think.

too bad there's no 'dognip' - but beware of assuaging dogs with chocolate; i hear it reacts like heroin in their bodies. can any doggie experts confirm or deny this??

Thanks all! And Tayzia, thanks for responding. Now that I know you were a vet tech, I might send you a quick PM. My dog looks awful, but it's back surgery and i guess it's going to take time for him to recover.